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The Division has been the topic of many discussions lately mainly negative due the lack of consistency in the game.

If your someone who has never played The Division I strongly recommend picking it up. It’s a fantastic game the story and side missions give plenty to do and the dark zone is an interesting area to enter. The mechanics are solid and the gameplay engaging with hints of many different games rolled into one.

For those expecting a straight forward cover based shooter your expectations will be shattered as soon as you noticed your picking up resources such as fabric and tools. The game is an RPG and ubisoft have never said otherwise. It appeals to all with a concrete shooting system and cover based strategy, enough crafting to please the true RPG fans. Offering three main attributes to modify by adding new gear DPS/health/special.

Based in New York a virus has wiped out or subdued most of the population after being attached to currency during America’s infamous black Friday shopping wars. Your attempting to clean the streets and get enough information for the doctors to create an anti virus. Now the map itself is overwhelming without the tiny objectives dotted all over it, once you enter a safe house you open side missions and activities for that area (strongly suggest doing this) thus showing you what exactly is available to do.

Originally the levelling system was a basic level 30 cap for PvE areas this has now been added to giving a gear score that replicates what Destiny did with their light level cap. Once you’ve completed the main missions/side missions/activities you have a plethora of Intel to collect (feathers in assassins creed anyone?) But this is where people get torn. You have 3 daily missions available and now an incursion (raid) to complete to get phoenix credits, the after end game currency to buy high end blueprints and gear to increase your gear score. The grind is real…

Increasing your gear level allows you to decide which path you wish to take being a tank/medic/assault class or a lone wolf if you so wish. The difference can be great in these original attributes. I have personally created a character who’s DPS is over 140,000 but with health of 28,345 and special of 9,368 I can kill with ease as long as they touch me with a stick or other hardened object. A good balance is key but picking up or crafting the right equipment is paramount to creating your playstyle. Named bosses do now drop high end gear but if your anywhere below level 30 steer clear.

The Division has been plagued of late with exploits of clipping through doors using mobile cover and also damage stacking which I’m sure will be patched in the next couple of weeks but it’s a shame to see for a game with so much potential. I personally have stopped playing since I find it frustrating that players I am matchmaked with have no microphone not allowing communication in the middle of huge skirmishes and having to replay the same missions over and over again has grown tiresome. There is not enough variety in the end game, creating an engaging game for the most part but then leaving die hard fans at the front porch while they fix basic game issues I can see The Division remaining on my shelf until it’s patched correctly.

The Division has been plagued of late with exploits of clipping through doors using mobile cover

The Division is an amalgamation of everything I love about RPG’s and cover based shooters rolled into one. It has everything you could want with a fantastic graphics engine, competent AI and a huge story offering it’s just a shame it has no more to offer the completed player. The addition of an arena based multiplayer could keep the players entertained the dark zone is fun but tiresome again when you have no group to enter with. Play it yourself and see, you might want to wait for fixes to be implemented but that being said if your more interested in the story than the chase for better gear then this game will keep you occupied for hours…